How Striders can help your spring marathon training

The loneliness of the long distance runner is not a problem if you’re a member of St Albans Striders!

We’ve got a range of training sessions that can help you if you’re targeting a spring marathon, while there are lots of running events on offer in the local area too. Here’s a few examples…

LONG RUNS

Striders usually meet for long group runs at 8am by the track on Saturday mornings. Check the Facebook page or the messageboard for arrangements or to organise your own.

Get ready for the marathon start line by training with Striders

Meanwhile, our pub runs are always on the last Saturday of the month, starting at 10.30am from The Elephant & Castle pub in Amwell, near Wheathampstead. These involve a steady run of 5/7 miles over a country route at a "conversational" pace before returning for a light lunch at the pub at midday. Everyone is welcome (you can even forgo the run and just go to the pub!)

Gade Valley Harriers stage three ‘London Marathon Training Runs’ in the build up to the big event. The first was a 12 miler last weekend but if you missed it, there’s still a 17 miler on Sunday 22nd February and then a 20 miler on Sunday 22nd March, both starting at 9.30am. These are organised runs along quiet country roads through Ashridge Forest, with a small section on the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. The route is marshalled and there are water stations but it’s not a race and no results are recorded. They’re open to all abilities and offer a great opportunity to run with company on a pretty, measured route. Plus there’s cake at the finish! Use the messageboard or Facebook page if you’d like to arrange car sharing to the start with other Striders. For more details, visit http://www.gadevalleyharriers.co.uk/london-marathon-training-runs/

INTERVAL SESSIONS

Speed work shouldn’t be neglected when you are marathon training. It will improve your cardiovascular fitness, V02 max and burn more calories than an easy paced run. It also makes a change from plodding the streets, keeping your marathon schedule more interesting.

Striders meet at 7pm every Tuesday for interval sessions on both the track and roads. The current track schedule is geared towards middle to long distance runners with some extra options for those marathon training. Combined with a warm up and warm down, doing an interval session will boost your mileage as well as your fitness. View the track schedule here.

GROUP RUNS

Also on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm, Striders offer a number of group runs at various paces, usually 5 to 7 miles in distance. You might find one of the runs is at your target marathon pace which offers an ideal opportunity to practise running at that speed. Or come along and run at a leisurely pace and have a chat as the minutes tick by.

PARKRUNS

St Albans parkrun takes place at 9am every Saturday morning in Verulamium Park. It’s free to take part, you just need to register on their website and print off a barcode to take along on the day in order to appear in the results.

Running to and from the event can boost your weekly mileage again without you really noticing it. As parkruns are a ‘timed run’ rather than a race, you don’t need to be competitive if you don’t want to be. You could run it at your target marathon pace to get used to how that feels.

You could also be a ‘parkrun tourist’ and go and try the other events now being held nearby in Panshanger, Tring and South Oxhey.

CLUB CHAMPS RACES

Doing a race such as a 10k or half marathon in the build up to a marathon provides the perfect opportunity to test your fitness and practise your race strategy. There are a number of races locally and further afield over the coming weeks so if you’re not sure which to choose, consider doing one that’s part of our Club Champs competition so you can earn some extra points. For a full list of the club champs races click here.

CROSS COUNTRY RACES

We’re nearing the end of the cross country season but there are still opportunities to compete on the mud in February (and March if you qualify for the Inter-counties or if you’re a vet). Check out the cross country guide for the remaining fixtures. Don’t think cross country isn’t for you if you’re targeting a road marathon – they will strengthen your legs and improve your stamina and endurance, all things you need to tackle 26.2 miles.

All of the above is open to Striders who aren’t mad enough to be doing a marathon too!

If you're not already a member, find out how to join us here, you are welcome to try a few sessions before signing up.

Happy training!

FESTIVE RUNS: Striders training over Christmas and New Year

'Tis the season to be jolly so why not pull on a Santa hat and go for a run this Christmas?

You don’t have to go it alone as we will have a number of organised group runs and sessions taking place between now and the New Year. There will also be the usual Saturday morning parkruns, plus an extra chance to take part in the timed 5k on New Year’s Day.

So whether you want to burn off those mince pies or hone your fitness for a New Year race, here’s what we have on offer… 

SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER

Santa training run: Meet at the Orchard Cafe tea room car park, Shenley, run leaving at 8.15am. Santa hats are welcomed but not compulsory! The run is normally at a very social pace for about 6 miles but longer, faster routes are possible. The breakfasts afterwards are legendary and just what is needed to kick start the Christmas indulgences. Directions to the cafe can be found on www.shenleypark.co.uk.

Festive parkrun: 9am Verulamium Park, join in the timed 5k run in Christmas fancy dress.

SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER 

All Striders welcome to join in St Albans A.C’s cross country training session. Meet at 10am at the track and the session will take place on the grass by the hypocaust.

TUESDAY 23 DECEMBER

Morning session: All Striders welcome to join in St Albans A.C’s cross country session. Meet at 10am at the track and the session will take place on the grass by the hypocaust.

Evening session: The track will be open as usual for Christmas Paarlauf (don’t forget your Santa hats!). Other group runs will also be taking place as usual. Meet at the track clubhouse 7pm.

THURSDAY 25 DECEMBER

Track closed, have a Merry Christmas!

FRIDAY 26 DECEMBER

Boxing Day runs, meet at 9.15am at Westminster Lodge Car Park, followed by coffee at the Inn on the Park (don’t forget to bring some money).

SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER

All Striders welcome to join in St Albans A.C’s cross country session. Meet at 10am at the track and the session will take place on the grass by the hypocaust.

TUESDAY 30 DECEMBER

Morning session:  All Striders welcome to join in St Albans A.C’s cross country session. Meet at 10am at the track and the session will take place on the grass by the hypocaust.

Evening runs: Track closed but road runs will still be taking place. Meet at Westminster Lodge Car Park at 7pm.

THURSDAY 1 JANUARY

Morning session: All Striders welcome to join in St Albans A.C’s cross country session. Meet at 10am at the track and the session will take place on the grass by the hypocaust.

Parkrun Double: St Albans and Panshanger parkrun are giving you the opportunity to run two parkruns on 1st January, what better way to shake off the after effects of the previous night and start the year in style! The double will start at Panshanger Park, Welwyn Garden City, at 9am, and then move to Verulamium Park, St Albans for the later than usual start time of 10.30am. Feel free to come along wearing party hats and attire from the night before!

Evening session – track closed, no group runs organised

SUNDAY 4 JANUARY

Herts County Cross Country Champs in Verulamium Park. It’s now too late to enter the race but we are still looking for volunteers to marshal. If you can help, email Pete Blackaller at marshals@ stalbanstriders.com

Merry Christmas and a Happy PB filled New Year to all Striders! 

JACK’S MARATHONS SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER 2014

Read all about Jack Brooks latest marathon adventures which have taken him across Europe, seen him reunited with old friends and boosted his trophy cabinet...

Chesterfield Marathon:  14^th September 2014
For an inaugural marathon the people of Chesterfield did a pretty good job. The route was traffic free, there were plenty of marshals and supporters, and drinks and energy gels were available at frequent intervals. After a very hot day had been forecast the weather actually turned out to be perfect for running. However, there is no way of disguising the fact that this part of Derbyshire is fairly hilly and I certainly found myself suffering on the hills in the second half of the race. I finished in 4:01:20 coming 134^th out of 332 finishers. Given the friendly atmosphere and nature of this race I’d certainly consider running it again. Now they just have to make life easier for me by setting a date when my brother isn’t away on holiday.

Barnstaple Marathon: 28^th September 2014
This was another very well organised inaugural road marathon and it filled up within only a few weeks. Amazingly for North Devon the organisers managed to devise a flat route, which principally followed well-surfaced sections of the Tarka Trail. The marshals were great and thankfully (as it was a hot day) there were plenty of drink stations. Support along the route was brilliant. My time of 4:12:10 was good enough to win me a trophy for 3^rd vet 60 plus (93^rd overall out of 188), although there were only four in my age group and my legs felt like lead for most of the second half.

Monaghan Trail Marathon, Eire: 5^th October 2014
This was the first marathon to be run in Monaghan County and it comprised five undulating laps with the majority of each lap passing through the scenic Rossmore Forest Park on sometimes fairly stony footpaths. There were 113 runners and we were fairly lucky as the forecast rain never materialised and all we had to contend with was a slightly chilly breeze. I found out at the end that an Irish friend, Michael Haydon (wishing to come 1^st in the 60/64 age group), had been pushing hard trying to overtake me for the last three laps not realising that he’d actually passed me when I had to make an emergency call into the gents toilets at race HQ at the end of the second lap. He saw the funny side of it afterwards and was gentleman enough to give me a lift back to town after the race. I was happy to finish 48^th out of 111 in 4:04:07, 2^nd vet 60/64.

The Yorkshire Marathon, York: 12^th October 2014
This was one of those marathons where everything goes right. The weather was perfect, the course was fast and the spectators and marshals were fantastic. The race starts (and finishes) at the University, but after approximately two miles running through York and past York Minster the route passes on to quiet country roads. I managed a negative split to finish in 3:42:16. My pace was an average 5:22min/km up to 10k: 5:20 from 10k to 20k: 5:24 from 20k to halfway: 5:22 from half way to 30k: 5:17 from 30k to 40k and 5:16 from 40k to the finish.

Chelmsford Parks Trail Marathon: 19^th October 2014
This marathon was chaotic. The start area was confusing, the race started around 15 minutes late and the race route was convoluted. On top of this what had been advertised as a two lap course ended up being two laps plus a confusing c.four mile final loop. The route was muddy in places and the out and back stretches were somewhat depressing. The only saving grace was that all of the marshals and supporters were enthusiastic and helpful. It would be fair to say that I didn’t have a good day and I was glad just to finish and have it over with in a time of 4:08:53.

Frankfurt Marathon: 26^th October 2014
Former Striders Andrew and Sylvi Roberts had invited me to stay with them for Frankfurt Marathon and treated me like royalty for the whole weekend. Andrew met me at the airport on Friday and dropped me off on the Monday and I couldn’t have wished for more attentive and gracious hosts. The marathon is organised with typical German efficiency and the whole route is along wide, flat roads. The start is in two waves and, being in the 3.45/4.00 hour compound meant that I was close to the front of the second wave start. There was nothing like the stop/start experiences and bunching that are the bane of marathons like London and Berlin. After running around 14k in loops around the City Centre the route heads out to Hochst, returning to the City Centre and big crowds at around 36k. If I have one slight criticism it is that the sports drink they provided along the course is the only one that I have ever had that I really hated the taste of. Otherwise, I loved the event and was happy with my time of 3:48:21. This is a race I would definitely recommend.

Nice-Cannes Marathon: 9^th November 2014
The sunshine in Nice lasted until about halfway through the marathon. From then on we had more or less continuous rain until we boarded our flight on the Tuesday.  This marathon was a medium sized event with 6,821 finishers plus two well organised relay options. Generally the relay runners didn’t get in the way of those running the full distance. The route is 95 per cent along the coast and runs from Nice to Cannes via some pretty seaside towns and villages. Apart from some minor hills at around 35km the course was pretty flat and I bumped into plenty of people I knew as I was running. It got pretty wet in the second half. I finished in 3:54:19. If the weather had been ok the finish arrangements would have been fine, but in the pouring rain conditions were somewhat cramped and cold. Nevertheless, the overall race organisation was good and I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of the South of France.  Kathryn Hall from Striders also ran and finished in 5:22:01.

Shillington Shuffle Trail Marathon, Barton-le-Clay, Bedfordshire: 16^th November 2014
I love the LDWA trail marathon route description events and they are amazingly good value. For £5 entry fee we were offered amazing food and drinks at all four checkpoints and received a hot meal, a certificate and a sew-on badge at the finish. After some very wet weather the route basically involved passing through the villages of Lilley, Pirton, Holwell, Stondon, Meppershall and Shillington,  all of which seemed to be linked by increasingly muddy and slippery footpaths, and finishing back at Barton-le-Clay. I was running with a group of friends (one of whom was carrying an injury) so enjoyment, rather than time, was our main objective so I wasn’t bothered that we were out for 6 hours and 39 minutes. Even the rain in the last few miles failed to spoil our day.

Cleethorpes Maravan Trail Marathon: 22^nd November 2014
Given how many caravan parks there are in Lincolnshire I suppose it was inevitable that someone would eventually decide to hold a race around some of them. When we arrived in Cleethorpes it was raining and when we left it was raining. All night before the race the rain beat down relentlessly on the roof of our three bedroom caravan. Miraculously the only time it didn’t rain was on the Saturday while we were running. The route had been marked out on the Friday and the storm that night was such that some of the markers and directional signs had disintegrated or been washed away by the time the race started. Most runners (including me) had some difficulty finding their way for the first two of the seven laps especially as one caravan looks much like any other. However, once everybody had the correct route memorised things settled down and I finished in 4 hours 14 minutes. All that remained was to enjoy a night and the best part of Sunday in the rain in Cleethorpes. It was a blessing that bottles of drinkable red wine in the pub next to our caravan park were reasonably priced.

San Sebastian Marathon, Spain: 30^th November 2014
San Sebastian is a beautiful coastal city in the Basque part of Spain. The roads and cycle paths are well planned and there are plenty of wide footpaths. However, it does appear to rain a lot there. In 2013 17.8 per cent of the marathon runners finished in under three hours, 60.4 per cent finished in under 3:30 and 90.5 per cent finished in under four hours. I wasn’t surprised that this year my finish time of 3 hours 50 minutes placed me well towards the back of the field. 

In case you missed it... the 2014/15 Cross Country guide

The cross country season is in full swing but if you haven't hit the mud yet there's still plenty of time to get involved whatever your age or ability.

Taking part in cross country races will improve your strength and fitness and help you earn club champ points. It's also good fun (just ask anyone who tackled the water obstacle at the Chiltern League in Keysoe!) and entry to all the races below is free to members.

Cross country captains Graham Smith and Wendy Walsh have been sending regular emails with the details of forthcoming fixtures but if you're confused over which races you can take part in or want to plan ahead, check out this handy guide...

Runners charge up Parliament Hill - the venue for the 2015 National Cross Country

LEAGUES 

The Chiltern League
Comprises clubs from Herts, Beds and Bucks, open to all abilities. Men and women race separately -approx 6k for women and 8k for men. There’s also junior races earlier in the day where St Albans AC athletes compete for Striders. The juniors, men and women’s scores are all combined to reach our league position. Last year we came fourth out of 14 clubs in division one having been promoted the previous year, and we would love to do well again this year (division one and two compete in the same race and results are calculated afterwards).

Taking part in Chiltern League races will also earn you points towards the Striders Club Championships.

Where & when: Women’s race starts approx 1.15pm, men’s approx 2pm
Saturday 11 October, Watford
Saturday 8 November, Keysoe, Bedford
Saturday 6 December, Luton, Stockwood Park
Saturday 10 January, Milton Keynes, Campbell Park
Saturday 7 February, Milton Keynes, Teardrop Lakes

What to do: We need to declare with the organisers who will be running the night before each race. We’ll send an email and post on the message board the week before each race so please let us know then if you intend to run. On the day, collect a number from captains (Graham Smith for the men and Wendy Walsh for the women). As with the Midweek Road Race League, you must keep this number for the whole league. After racing, you won’t be given a finishing position ticket as results will be recorded by the organisers.

More info: http://www.chilternccl.co.uk

The Sunday XC League
Slightly lower key league so a good introduction if you have never done cross country before. It’s suitable for all abilities and just like the MWRRL but on off-road courses. Clubs from the local area take part with men and women competing in the same race which is approx 5-6 miles. If you take part in four or more races you will be in with a chance of winning an individual age group prize at the end of the league. Individual trophies are awarded as follows: Senior Men, M40, and M50 - first five places. M60 - first three, M70 - winner. Senior Women, W35, and W45 - first five places. W55 – first three, W65 – winner. Sunday League races do not count towards the Striders club champs.

Where & when: All races start at 10.30am
Sunday 26 October, Broxbourne
Sunday 23 November, Grovelands
Sunday 7 December, Watford
Sunday 11 January, Trent Park
Sunday 15 February, Royston

What to do: You don’t need to wear a number so just turn up and race. At the finish, you’ll be given a ticket with your finishing position on which should be handed to the captains so they can record the results.

More info: There’s no official website for the league but results and pictures will be posted on http://www.runherts.com.

CHAMPIONSHIP RACES 

The Herts XC Champs returns to St Albans in 2015

Herts County XC
Individual and county medals up for grabs here and the chance to qualify to represent Herts in future races. Approx 8k for women and 12k for men. This year we are hosting the event in Verulamium Park.

As we are hosting this fixture, we also need marshals to help out on the day. If you can volunteer, email Peter Blackaller at marshals at stalbansstriders.com

Where & when: Sunday 4 January 2015, St Albans

What to do: You must have been born in Herts or have been a resident in the county for at least nine months prior to the race to compete. Captains have to enter teams in advance so look out for details on the message board or via email in order to sign up. On the day, collect your number from captains.

More info: http://www.hertscaaa.org.uk

Southern XC Champs
Regional event made up of clubs from the south of England. Approx 8k for women and 15k for men.

Where & when: Saturday 24 January 2015, Stanmer Park, Brighton

What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. Look out for posts/emails to sign up nearer the time. The event is chip-timed so you must collect your chip and number from captains on the day.

More info: http://www.seaa.org.uk

The National XC Champs
Prestigious and historic event which clubs across England take part in. Approx 8k for women and 12k for men.

Where & when: Saturday 21 February 2015, Parliament Hill, London

What to do: Open to all club members of all abilities but you must be EA registered pre-entered by captains. The event is chip-timed so you must collect your chip and number from captains on the day.

More info: http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk

The men's team at the 2014 National XC

Vets Champs: There are also a couple of Vets only championship races (age 35/40 and over for women depending on the event and age 40 and over for men) across the season including the Southern Masters Champs on Saturday 13 December at Horspath, Oxford, and Herts County Vet Champs on Sunday 22 March at Trent Park. You must be pre-entered so look out for email/posts nearer the time.

Here’s a list of essentials you will need for cross country racing…

• Striders vest: You must compete in a club vest for all the above events.
• Layers: Wrap up warm with hats, gloves and a waterproof jacket before and after the race. Some courses can be exposed to the elements and races will go ahead come wind, rain or shine (only very heavy snowfall has cancelled races in the past).
• Shoes: Some courses will be suitable for trainers, but if the weather gets wetter and ground gets muddier, trail shoes or spikes are essential. If you only plan to buy one or the other, trail shoes are more flexible as they give good grip in muddy sections but are more comfortable on courses which include harder surfaces such as gravel. Cross country spikes can be bought for around £40 so are well worth having in addition to trail shoes as they give better grip on courses which are entirely grass/mud. Invest in some different length spike pins to insert in them so you can adapt the spike length according to the course (12-15mm best for very muddy courses like Parliament Hill).
• Pins: For attaching your number.
• Change of socks: The socks you run in might get wet and there’s nothing worse than travelling home with stinky, damp feet!
• Wet wipes: Great for wiping all that mud off your legs (and arms and face!). Don’t worry about getting muddy, it’s all part of the fun and it all comes out in the wash!
• Sense of humour!

If you have any further questions about cross country running or want to find out more, contact xc men’s captain Graham Smith at men at stalbansstriders.com or women’s xc captain Wendy Walsh at ladies at stalbansstriders.com

We hope to see you at the races,
Graham and Wendy, XC captains

Jack’s Marathons (& other races) - June to August 2014

Walled City Marathon, Derry, Northern Ireland: 1 June 2014: I was amazed how pretty the City of Derry and the surrounding countryside is. Unfortunately the Everglades Hotel had been fire-bombed by a dissident Republican group a few days before the start of the race, but the staff had worked really hard to ensure that the runners could still use it on race day. The marathon route comprised a number of loops passing through the City and into the surrounding countryside. There was no shortage of hills, but the crowd support in the City was phenomenal, especially just after Mile 20 when we came off the Peace Bridge and ran alongside the River Foyle and when we climbed the hill from the Bogside into the walled city area just before the start of Mile 26. I ran with a talkative bunch in the 3.45 pace group until they dropped me at around 19 miles and I finally finished in 3:48:14 (3rd vet 60–64 out of 19 and 415th out of 1323 finishers). This was a friendly, well organised point to point race in beautiful surroundings and deserves to become a lot bigger. The finisher’s medal is bigger and more solid than any I’ve ever received and the whole town seemed to have turned out to support the event. I managed to catch up with a number of Irish friends as well as friends from Liverpool and Scotland and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I’m already thinking that I might go back to run it again next year.

Striders at the Stour Valley Marathon

Stour Valley Marathon, Essex: 15 June 2014: This was an off-road route description marathon in Essex. There were 5 of us there from the Striders (Mandy Attree, Lucy Stern, Conrad Wild, Steve Elkan and me) and we decided to go round together. Steve stuck with us for 20 miles, but was obviously champing at the bit so we told him to push on at that stage with some faster runners. The rest of us finished in 5:20:48. Hot food and drinks were provided at the race finish and we all thoroughly enjoyed this event.

Wakefield Trail Marathon, West Yorkshire: 29 June 2014: This was another new trail marathon starting from Nostell Priory with about 35% of the course on road and the remainder on cycle paths and footpaths. Being Yorkshire there was no shortage of hills, but the route was marked and it stopped raining just before the race started. I had a reasonable run finishing in 4:10:23. Fortunately I was staying with friends in Sheffield after the race so the post race drive was not too taxing.

Stratford Grand Union Canal Trail Ultra, Stratford on Avon: 13 July 2014: The distance according to my Garmin was 29.56 miles although others came out with a figure of 31 miles. Whatever the distance actually was this was another excellent event staged by my friend Chris Seeney. From Stratford on Avon we followed the Stratford canal north before turning onto the Grand Union canal. The turnaround point was at a bridge just over 15 miles out. The whole event was brilliantly organised and even without marshals there was little opportunity to go wrong. All the helpers were friendly and supportive especially at the drinks stations and the race HQ. The towpaths were slightly muddy and overgrown in places, but were perfectly manageable in trail shoes and we received plenty of encouragement from the occupants of the numerous narrowboats navigating the canals. At the finish there was plentiful hot food, a medal and a good quality towel with the race name on it. Chris’s events are really popular and it was great to see so many good friends taking part. My finish time was 4:56:48.

Fairlands Valley Challenge: 20 July 2014: DNF: Starting this race was an exercise in stupidity for me. I knew I was dehydrated at the start and by around 11 miles I was peeing blood. I dropped out at the 3rd checkpoint (12.83 miles) and cadged a lift back to base with a friend from the Spartans. The remainder of the St Albans Striders group I’d been running with were fine and all seemed to have enjoyed their day out.

Bearbrook 10k: 10 August 2014: I enjoyed this club competition race although my time of 48:39 wasn’t brilliant. It was great to see so many Striders taking part.

Leila's Run Trail Marathon

Leila’s Run Trail Marathon, Wheathampstead: 17 August 2014: This is a 4 lap race run mainly along footpaths between Wheathampstead, Harpenden and Sandridge. It is run in memory of Leila Taylor who was a member of both Garden City Runners and the 100 marathon Club. I ran most of it with a friend, Dave King. As he’s faster than me I’m sure he managed to talk twice as much as me, while I endeavoured to catch my breath. I was pleased with my time 0f 4:08:34 given that there were plenty of hills to negotiate. The finisher’s medal was quite unique as it had a revolving centrepiece of a runner’s shirt with Garden City Runners colours on one side and 100 marathon club colours on the other.

Finishing the Thames Meander

Thames Meander Trail Marathon: 23 August 2014: This is a trail marathon along the Thames towpath between Kingston and Putney Bridge. The path is quite narrow and it took a while for the field of 334 marathoners and 269 half-marathoners to spread out a bit, but once it did I was able to maintain a steady pace and was exceptionally pleased with my finish time of 3:46:10, coming 2nd vet 60–69. The route is flat, but the towpath surface is quite rough in places and quite a few runners took tumbles. However, there were plenty of drink stations (all handing out GU gels as well) and the marshals were all friendly and supportive. Striders Mark Travers (4:20:38) and Kathryn Hall (5:19:48) also completed the marathon and Ian Hirth (1:48:50) ran the half. Unfortunately Si Fraser had to drop out of the marathon at 24 miles with an injury. He had been well up with the front runners at the turnaround point. Ironically I was just 11 seconds away from running a time of 3:45 for my 345th marathon.

Halifax Marathon, Yorkshire: 31 August 2014: The good news about Halifax was that the return train fare was £17, the hotel was 100 yards from the station and the race started and finished 0.4 miles away from the hotel. The bad news was hills. The marathon route comprised 2 laps and was through very pretty countryside, but for the first 7 miles of each lap we were faced with a series of sharp ascents (one very steep hill had a cobbled surface and there was a handrail along the adjacent wall) and descents. There was then a stretch of just over 5 miles alongside a canal before a final climb back up to the race HQ. The route was generally well signposted although on the second lap there was one point where I had to shout at the group in front of me as they were all about to take a path to the right instead of to the left. I was surprised that my time of 4:26:55 was sufficient to gain me the 1st vet 60–69 award, but I guess most people suffered on the hills as much as I did. My quads were still very painful for several days afterwards.

Jack Brooks